page_title: Battle-class destroyer
section_title: "1944" or "Australian Battle" class
hierarchical_section_title: Battle-class destroyer / "1944" or "Australian Battle" class
caption_attribution_description: English: AWM Caption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
context_page_description: The Battle class were a class of destroyers of the British Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, named after naval or other battles fought by British or English forces. Built in three groups, the first group were ordered under the 1942 naval estimates. A modified second and third group, together with two ships of an extended design were planned for the 1943 and 1944 estimates. Most of these ships were cancelled when it became apparent that the war was being won and the ships would not be required, although two ships of the third group, ordered for the RAN, were not cancelled and were subsequently completed in Australia.
  Seven Battles were commissioned before the end of World War II, but only Barfleur saw action, with the British Pacific Fleet.
context_section_description: The original building programme for the 1943 ships included provision for the later ships, the third flotilla, to be armed with the new 4.5-inch Mark VI turret. Although these ships were cancelled by the Admiralty two ships of this type had been ordered by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in Australia in 1945. Neither of these ships were cancelled and both ships were laid down in 1946, although, like the building programme in Britain, progress was slow. The first of the two ships, HMAS Anzac, was not completed by HMA Dockyard at Williamstown until 1950, and sister ship HMAS Tobruk, built at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney, was not completed until the following year. The only difference between these ships and those planned for the Royal Navy was a distinctive funnel cowl fitted to both ships.
  Tobruk remained in service until 1960 when she was placed in reserve after being damaged in a friendly-fire accident. Anzac had her STAAG mountings removed at about this time and continued in service as a training ship. She was further modified for this role in 1966 when 'B' turret was removed and replaced by a deckhouse. Another deckhouse was built aft. She was laid up in 1974. Both ships were broken up in 1975.
  Armament summary
  2 × twin QF 4.5 inch /45 (113 mm) Mark V guns in 2 twin mountings UD Mark VI
  3 × twin 40 mm Bofors mounts "STAAG" Mk. II
  6-7 × single 40 mm Bofors mount Mk. VII
  2 × quintuple tubes for 21 in torpedoes Mk. IX
  1 × Squid A/S mortar
caption: HMAS Tobruk in 1954
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